John millee



(No Model.)

J. MILLER.

. GAB. GOUPLING.

No. 344,127. Patented Jue 22, 1886.I

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llnrTen STATns PATENT Orrrcs,

JOHN MILLER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LORENZ GERHARD, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

.EiPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 344,127, dated June 22, 1886.

Application filed April 12, 1886. Serial No. 198,556. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN MILLER, of the city of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of car-couplings in which each drawhead is provided with a hook and a pivoted link, the link on one of the draw-heads engaging over the hook on the opposite drawhead for coupling the cars together, and with a lever mechanism whereby the link can be disengaged from the hook for nncoupling the cars.

The object of my invention is the construction of a simple and effective coupling of this character, and my invention consists of the improvements in the construction of the coupling, which will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of two draw-heads provided with my improved coupling. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A A represent the drawheade, provided with the usual open mouth, a, and. pin-hole a', for the insertion of the ordinary coupling-pins, so that the drawheads can be coupled to cars having the ordinary link-and-pin couplings, when desired.

B represents a coupling-hook arranged above the mouth a, near the outer end of each drawhead, and C represents a pivoted link, which is secured to a horizontal shaft, D, which is journaled in the draw-head and extends transversely through the same. Each draw-head is provided with a link, C, which is pivoted at its rear end to the shaft D, with its forward end extending beyond the outer face of the draw-head, so that the link C on either drawhead will engage over the hook on the opposite draw-head when the cars are coupled together. The links C are U-shaped, and their rear ends are provided with perforatedlugs c, through which the shaft D is inserted, and to which they are rigidly secured on opposite sides of the drawhead by setscrews d. The lugs c are arranged below the plane of the links, so that the forward strain on the shaft D will cause the front end of the link, when enga-ged over the hook on the opposite drawhead, to bear downward against the top of the draw-head.

E represents a cam secured to the shaft D by a set-screw, c, and arranged in a recess or opening, e', formed between the two sides of the draw-head. The cam E is provided with two flat faces, f f', which are arranged preferably at right angles to each other, or nearly so.

G represents a flat steel spring secured at its rear end to the under side of the draw-head, with its free forward end bearing against one of the flat sides of the cam.

By means of the cam E and spring G the link C can be held in either of the two positions, as shown in the drawings. XVhen the link is swung upward or away from the hook, as shown on the right-hand side of the figures in the drawings, the spring GV will bear against the fiat face j' of the cam E and hohl the link in this elevated position. Then the links on both draw-heads are in this position, the drawheads can be brought together without being coupled; or, if desired, the ordinary loose link-and-pin coupling canbe used, as the links G are held out of the way. When the link C on either one of the draw-heads is swung downward, so that its forward end will engage over the hook on the opposite draw-head to couple the cars, the spring G- will bear against the rear end of the face f of the cam, as shown on the lefthand side of Fig. 2, and the pressure of the spring against the earn when in this positionvwill force the forward end of the link downward and hold the saineV in engagement with the hook. The shaft D extends from opposite sides of the draw head outward to the sides of the ear, and is provided at its ends with a hand-lever, H, whereby the links C can be operated from either side of the car without entering loetween the cars. The outer ends of the shafts D are journaled in bearings lz., secured to the ends of the car. The center portion of each shaft D,whieh extends th rough the draw-head, roo

' and to Which the link and cani are secured,

and the tWo eXtreme end portions of the shaft, which are journaled in the bearings h, and to which thehand-lcvers H are secured, are made in separate pieces, and the end portions are connected to the Center portion by short intervening portions t'. The portions t' are jointed to the center portion of the shaft by bolts or pins k, and tothe end portions by bolts or pins 7c. The bolts le and `7c are arranged at right angles, or nearly so, with each other, the bolts k being arranged in a line parallel with the link C, so that when the latter is in its elevated position, as shown in the right-hand side of Fig. 3, the bolts 7c will stand in a vertical position and the bolts la in a horizontal position, and when the link C is coupled over the hook, as shown to the left of Fig. 3, the bolts 7c will be in a vertical position and the bolts k in a horizontal position. By jointing the shafts D in this manner any jar or strain on the shafts caused by the drawheads striking against each other will permit the shaft to yield or turn on the bolts 7c or la Without bending the shaft and causing the saine to bind in its bearings.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a oar-coupling, the combination,With the draw-head A, provided with a hook, B,

and a recess, e', of a link, C, pivoted to the 3c draw-head by a transverse shaft, D, a cam, E, provided With two lockingfaees, f f, at right angles to each other and secured to the shaft D in the recess'e, and a spring, G, secured to the under side of the draw-head and bearing against the cam E, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the draw-head A, provided with a hook, B, of a link, C, provided With perforated lugs c, arranged below the plane of the link, a transverse shaft, D, extending through the draw-head and the lugs c of the link and provided with jointslc 7c and hand-levers H, secured tothe outer ends of the shaft, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the draw-head A, provided with a hook, B, of a transverse. jointed shaft, D, extending through the draw head and carrying at its ends hand-levers H, a link, C, secured at its rear end to the shaft D, a cam, E, secured to the shaft D, and a'5c spring, G, bearing against the cam, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 2d day of April, 1886.

JOHN MILLER.

Witnesses:

CARL F. GEYER, J No. J. BoNNnR. 

